I've only noticed scents in a few places in all my travels. The Luxor in Vegas has a strong scent and not a good one IMHO - it's in all of the common lobby and shopping areas. I figured in Vegas they do this because without it, the prevailing scent would be stale tobacco smoke. Occasionally I'll pick up on a scent in a hotel with a high-end spa...they'll have the products out in the lobby, perhaps as a way to entice you to the spa or to buy the scented products.

I don't notice it at mainline Hiltons and Marriotts, or perhaps I subconsciously do and just assume it's there to cover the scents of harsher cleaning supplies.

As for music, I always sort of chuckle when I'm at a large business hotel full of mainly business travelers and the lobby techno is so loud I can hardly hear the front desk clerk. Um, it's 4pm on a Tuesday, I don't need to feel like I'm at a club. Lookin at you, Seattle W Hotel (and probably most W's in general). It might not bother me so much if it only kicked in later at night at hotels that actually want a nightlife scene in their lobby, as some do. Aloft tries to do this too, even at their suburban office park locations. Electronica with my work colleagues at breakfast on a Wednesday? Okay.